AID Youth Employment Act

This proposal would fund paid summer and year‑round jobs for teens and young adults ages 14–24. It creates competitive grants so states, cities, tribes, and community groups can plan and run local programs that connect youth with real work experience. Funds can pay wages and help with things like child care and transportation.

• Who is affected: Young people ages 14–24 (both in‑school and out‑of‑school), plus state, local, and tribal governments and community organizations that run the programs.
• What it funds and requires: Competitive planning and implementation grants for paid summer and year‑round jobs. Programs may include mentoring and job coaching and must partner with schools, workforce boards, justice and child welfare agencies, and employers. Grant funds can cover wages and supports like transportation and child care.
• Grant sizes and cost share: Planning grants up to $250,000 for 1 year; implementation grants up to $6,000,000 for 3 years. Planning grants are fully covered; implementation grants usually require a 50% local match, but tribal programs get at least 95% covered. Matches can be cash or in‑kind, including private/philanthropic sources, and tribes may use federal sources.
• Program rules and priorities: Year‑round hours fit school status (up to 15 hours/week for in‑school youth; 20–40 for out‑of‑school). Summer jobs must last at least 6 weeks, be up to 20 hours/week, and pay at least minimum wage; construction jobs must pay the standard local construction wage. Grants prioritize high‑need areas and strong employer‑school partnerships, and set aside summer funds for rural (20%) and tribal (5%) areas; year‑round grants also encourage linking summer jobs to year‑round work.
• When and how much: Authorizes $375 million per year for summer programs and $500 million per year for year‑round programs for fiscal years 2026–2030.

Overall, this aims to help young people get their first jobs, build skills, and stay connected to school or training, while giving communities resources to run quality youth employment programs and track results.